The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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To evaluate daptomycin use for the treatment of infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates having vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1.5 to 2 µg/mL. ⋯ Current published evidence indicates daptomycin may be an acceptable alternative to vancomycin for MRSA infections, especially bacteremia, involving isolates with vancomycin MIC values of 1.5 to 2 µg/mL. Additional evidence is needed to fully elucidate daptomycin utility in this area.
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To review clinical trials and main characteristics of bosutinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). ⋯ Currently available clinical trials suggest that bosutinib is generally a safe and effective treatment option for patients with CML who have failed first-line TKIs and who do not express the T315I mutation; however, tolerability may be problematic for some patients.
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To review currently available literature on the oral multikinase inhibitor regorafenib and its role in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), and imatinib- and sunitinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). ⋯ Regorafenib is a novel oral multikinase inhibitor that has shown promising results for patients with advanced, unresectable or metastatic treatment-refractory CRCs or imatinib- and sunitinib-resistant GISTs.
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Medication errors are common upon hospital admission. Clinical pharmacist involvement in medication reconciliation is effective in identifying and rectifying medication errors. However, data is lacking on the economic impact, time requirements, and severity of errors resolved by clinical pharmacists. ⋯ Clinical pharmacist involvement within a multidisciplinary health care team during the admission medication reconciliation process demonstrated a significant improvement in patient safety and an economic benefit.
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Varenicline (Champix, Chantix) has been available for use in smoking cessation since 2006. This drug has been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. ⋯ We report the case of a 30-year-old man with no known cardiac disease, who developed thrombotic occlusion of left anterior descending artery and presented with acute coronary syndrome secondary to treatment with varenicline. The Naranjo probability scale indicates that varenicline was the probable cause of the myocardial infarction.